NOT AT ALL HELPFUL TO ANYONE, ANYWHERE

Oh great, not another one.

At least 15 people were killed and more than 30 wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a bus in the northern Israeli town of Haifa, the first bombing in the Jewish state in exactly two months.

Most of the victims were thought to be students as the bus was ripped to pieces while travelling between a residential area on the Carmel heights and Haifa university, public television said.

Ten of the wounded were said to be in serious condition.

The suicide bomber was wearing a belt packed with several dozen kilos of explosives and nails to cause maximum carnage.

Hardline Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said the blast, which created chaos and carnage in the city, was revenge for a string of bloody raids by the Israeli army into the Gaza Strip in recent weeks.

But the Palestinian leadership condemned the attack, saying it would divert international sympathy away from the far higher Palestinian civilian death toll.

Ugh. This happens just as the Palestinian Authority has been talking about a new Prime Minister, government reform and perhaps the rekindling of the peace process.

At some point in the next week, we will see video of a refugee camp being bulldozed again, and the cycle of bullshit continues.

If I'm Arafat and the Palestinian Authority right now, I'd keep the focus on reform, getting the new elections to take place, etc. Stopping the suicide bombers is very tough (especially given the only partial power the Palestinians have over their territories, since Wye River). However, marginalizing them in the theatre of public opinion (in terms of what the public does and doesn't see as constructive) is much more within their grasp.

Obviously, this goes hand in hand with ending the arrogant occupations and settlements on Israel's part. Until then, it's suicide bombing (3-20 dead) on Page 1A, bulldozed camp and precision missiles/"assassinations" (50-100 dead) on Page 32D. Hmm, I imagine some high-profile 3rd-party world leader could help. Maybe that guy from America, perhaps. Or is he preoccupied with something at the moment? And could that something (hint: ends with "q") exacerbate tensions in the region? Oy.